inStrategy

Sharpening a blurry brand architecture so that a leadership development firm could embolden the economic community.

Opportunity

Key Details

INDUSTRY

Leadership Development
& Venture Capital

SERVICES

Market Research

Brand Strategy

Brand Identity

Website Design

Copywriting

Photography

Corporate Stationery

Marketing Collateral

BRAND ROLLOUT

2014

The Opportunity

inStrategy is a unique leadership development company offering both executive training and venture capital funding for innovation-based startups. Their one-of-a-kind business model and its attendant value propositions should have been their strongest brand assets. Instead, the dual offerings were muddying the vision of inStrategy stakeholders, resulting in messaging that was unfocused, confusing, and ineffective. To make matters worse, their online presence was outdated and unaligned with their target audience. inStrategy turned to Ignyte to address these challenges and more. Like most businesses, they needed an external analysis to better understand their own identity vis-à-vis the varying competitive landscapes in which they were operating. Their goal was to position themselves as the go-to regional firm for startups looking to launch scalable businesses, and investors looking to back such enterprises. They saw their model as a unique solution for creating sustainable economic growth in the San Diego community.

Strategy

Brand Strategy

Our objective was to clearly define inStrategy’s brand architecture, and leverage it to differentiate their positioning within the leadership development and venture capital industries. The competition was represented by some formidable, well-established brands. In defining inStrategy’s brand architecture, we began with an intensive audit process, including market and customer research, competitive analyses, and brand focus workshops. Through this process, we developed a comprehensive understanding of how the brand was currently perceived versus how it should be perceived. From there, we implemented positioning and messaging that unequivocally delineated the brand’s personality and value propositions.

Stakeholders

02

Customer Interviews

10

Competitive Audits

15

Audience Personas

04

Identity

Brand Identity

Among the key brand attributes that emerged from the strategy phase were “bold,” “elegant,” and “inspiring.” We created an identity to reflect these characteristics by combining a strong wordmark with a graceful and rousing symbol. The warm monochromatic orange tone is stimulating and memorable, evocative of the encouragement intrinsic to leadership development. The spiral’s concentric curves expand outwardly, connoting the dynamic nature of the brand.

Identity Suite

The inStrategy stationary system was an extension of the core brand identity elements. Awash in the brand’s signature bold orange hue, stationary elements also featured the brand’s spiral symbol as a dynamic focal point. We employed clear foil embossing to give the spiral a tactile, impactful effect. Much like the brand identity itself, the entire stationery system was designed to straddle the fine line between elegance and professionalism with a lighthearted, personal touch.

Iconography

Iconography

We designed a series of engaging illustrated icons for use throughout the website and marketing collateral. The nature of each illustration provided a visual representation of the journey through a life of leadership. The process flow allowed us to demonstrate that inStrategy offered wisdom and mentorship for wherever their clients were in their unique stage of leadership.

Life of Leadership Infographic

In addition to the iconography used throughout the site, we also created a minimalistic yet informative infographic illustrating the growth stages of a business and its leadership. The graph was a simplified version of an existing infographic that was too complex for online usage.

Website

Website

The website’s primary function was to be a marketing tool, introducing visitors to the brand’s unique service offerings in a high-level, compelling fashion. We sought to create a bold and progressive online experience. Since inStrategy’s target demographic, C-level executives, are extremely busy, we designed a site that was attention-grabbing and easily engaged.
Since the inStrategy business model was complex and unconventional, we opted to rely heavily on visual storytelling, utilizing photography, iconography and infographics to augment web copy. The resulting narrative successfully conveyed inStrategy’s brand personality, service offerings, and unique value propositions in an efficient yet impactful experience saturated in the brand’s bold orange hue.

Responsive Website

Since CEOs are constantly on the go, the inStrategy site had to be responsive. We spent a considerable amount of time perfecting a simple yet powerful mobile experience. The result allows viewers to quickly and easily jump to the content they are seeking, while discovering new services along the way.

Copywriting

Copywriting

The copywriting we provided for inStrategy was driven by one primary goal: to convey the brand’s personality and unique value propositions in a compelling, narrative fashion. We aimed to paint a comprehensive portrait of the brand through a rich storytelling experience. The result was copy that enhanced the bold imagery of the site with pithy and persuasive messaging.

“Aha! Momentum”

We’ve all experienced that “aha!” moment—the instant you realize a profound truth that has been there all along. For business leaders these moments can be especially inspiring. The trick is knowing what to do with that inspiration. At inStrategy, we give leaders the skills to capitalize on enlightening realizations. It’s what we like to call “Aha! Momentum.” Our clients learn how to exploit the kinetic energy of insight for real and measurable results. Because it’s only with momentum that leaders are able to spark local economies and advance thriving communities.

Photography

Culture Photography

The inStrategy website called for imagery that was bold, professional, and evocative of the company’s hands-on approach. We recruited inStrategy clients, who were happy to participate, and produced authentic lifestyle shots depicting both one-on-one and group coaching environments.

Team Photography

The traditional headshots we produced for inStrategy were composed to evoke a balance of professional expertise, business savvy, and approachable amiability—all core characteristics to the brand itself. Each shot was designed to effortlessly convey the unique personality of the company executives and clients.